LAHORE - Grave irregularities including unjustified expenditures have been found in the accounts of Miani Sahib Graveyard Committee (MSGC), revealed an audit report of five years submitted before the Lahore High Court. The audit report said that the committee apparently miserably failed to preserve and maintain the graveyard and could not properly and successfully achieve the purpose of its creation. The committee also failed to maintain the graveyard in its original shape and could not stop unauthorised encroachment, the report added. The audit conducted for the year 1999 to 2003 by Zafar & Co, an charted accountant firm, further said there was no check and balance in appointments of the employees and unnecessary staff was appointed to oblige blue eyed which was tantamount to wastage of public money. MSGC has unlimited discretionary powers to appoint staff irrespective of their merits and qualification and without any check and balance system. The report said there were numerous huge expenditures made under the head of construction and maintenance but the auditor was unable to verify these payments due to unavailability of documentary evidences. The audit report submitted before the court of Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi also revealed that no income tax had been deducted from taxable salary of employees and from the payments made to contractors as well as to legal advisor. The audit firm in his report has suggested that a proper qualified accountant having practical knowledge of maintaining books of accounts should be appointed so that the accounts of MSGC could be papered on the universally accepted principals of accounting. Meanwhile, the court directed the MSGC to provide accounts record of remaining five years (2004-08) to the audit firm for the purpose of audit, when the firm complained about the unavailability of accounts. On the issue of illegal encroachment in graveyard, member Board of Revenue (BoR) Najam Saeed appearing before the court sought more time to file his compliance report which was duly granted. The hearing was adjourned and the date would be fixed after winter vacation in high court. Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi was hearing a petition filed by one Syed Muhammad Shah, challenging the sale of a land of Miani Sahib Graveyard to the LDA. The petitioner had also moved an application seeking court intervention to conduct audit of MSGC's accounts that had not been done since its formation in 1958. Mr. Shah pleaded that he had moved an application to the chairman of Miani Sahib Graveyard Committee (MSGC) that demarcation of land had been carried out and the land should be get mutated in the name of graveyard. But due to some hidden reasons the same was not done. The petitioner also requested the court to order for the audit of graveyard's accounts and direct the chairman MSGC (DCO) to form committee at once under Miani Sahib Graveyard Act, 1958. On court's order, DCO had already removed illegal occupants and sealed illegal shops from the site.